New York City Geese Being Killed To Protect Airliners - Are Roosevelt Island Geese Next?

Image of Roosevelt Island Canadian Goose From Chedpics

Roosevelt Island Geese may soon have more to worry about than being hit by speeding vehicles on the East Channel Road adjacent to Coler-Goldwater Hospital. According to CNN:

Four hundred Canada geese from Brooklyn's Prospect Park were herded into crates and euthanized last week in an effort to reduce their number near New York's airports, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Measures to lower the number of Canada geese close to John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia international airports have been in place since last summer, said Carol Bannerman, spokeswoman for the USDA's Wildlife Services...

NBC New York reports:

... Carol A. Bannerman, a spokeswoman for the USDA's Wildlife Services Division, told NBCNewYork that the program began last year as part of the Aviation Passenger and Property Protection Act.

In January 2009, two geese flew into the engines of US Airways Flight 1549, causing Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger to make his infamous emergency landing in the Hudson River...

But it's not only Brooklyn's Prospect Park Geese that are in danger but all Geese within 7 miles of Kennedy and La Guardia Airports which would include the Roosevelt Island Geese. According to the NY Times City Room Blog:

... The Prospect Park geese were not the only ones removed in the last month. The goal is to remove all geese within seven miles of La Guardia and John F. Kennedy airport.

Roosevelt Island is within range. The Geese better watch out.

The June 5 2010 Main Street WIRE interview with former Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) President Steve Shane mentioned the Roosevelt Island Geese and some residents seeking to help them.

... Did you hear about the geese? There’s a family of geese. What happened, apparently, was that they were behind the fence in the Southpoint area and, for reasons best known to them, they led their goslings outside [north of] the fenced area, because there’s a lot of construction activity down there, and now they can’t get back to get in the water. There’s no place for the goslings to get in the water, so the tenderhearted goose lovers now want to make some special arrangements for them in our wildlife sanctuary. Unfortunately, our wilderness out here is passing as we do our development. And to encourage this family of geese to reestablish their nest next year – that would probably be a mistake, because they always come back.
That’s the goose story....